Books by Russell Brand, Noah Levine, Dr Gabor Mate, James Frey, Carlton Erickson Ph.D and Mackenzie Phillips joined mine on the list of the 42 Best Drug Addiction Books of All Time, so I'm in pretty good company!

And it's not one of those "fake awards" that you pay to enter or receive your award. I didn't even know I'd won until I was notified.

BookAuthority collects and ranks the best books in the world, based on dozens of different signals, including public mentions, recommendations, ratings, sentiment, popularity and sales history. The website has been featured on CNN, Forbes and Inc.

People who recommended books for the list included Demi Lovato and James Altucher.

It really is humbling to get this kind of recognition. After all, I'm just a recovering alcoholic who wanted to help others find a recovery as happy as mine has been.

But it's also an honour to know that my book has touched and helped so many people.

If you've ever bought, recommended or rated The Happy Addict, then you are a huge part of this wonderful achievement, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

If you haven't yet read The Happy Addict, you can order it from most bookstores or buy it online at your favourite online bookstore, including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

As always, big love, and a huge thank you!

Beth :)

]]>Latest newsSat, 20 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +0000Get wise, get happy, be more successfulhttps://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/get-wise-get-happy
https://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/get-wise-get-happyWhat if you could become even happier and more successful in all areas of your life? Wouldn't that be great?

Most people bumble along in life, doing the same old things, thinking the same old ways and just kind of get by. And that's OK if you're content with that kind of life.

But rates of depression, stress and poor mental health are increasing every year across the globe, so I'm assuming that more and more people are no longer happy living that way.

So, if you want a better life, better relationships, less stress and more happiness, then I have a solution for you. It's free and You can find out what it is by watching this short video.

Then you can look like this less often:

And look like this more often :

:

]]>Latest newsThu, 19 Jul 2018 10:00:00 +0000Great review of our addiction book by expert addiction psychologisthttps://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/great-review-of-our-addiction-book-by-expert-addiction-psychologist
https://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/great-review-of-our-addiction-book-by-expert-addiction-psychologistDistinguished psychologist Carlo Diclemente Ph.D,, whose field of expertise is Addiction and Health Behaviour Change, has given our book "Addiction and Choice: Rethinking the Relationship" a very positive, thorough and balanced review.

Currently teaching at the University of Maryland, Professor Diclemente himself has written hundreds of research papers and several books, so we were particularly delighted to receive such a good and thoughtful review.

In his review, he calls the book "a comprehensive, historically rich, sophisticated, and research-supported exploration of addiction, its definition, and the ongoing debate about the role of choice in the phenomenon of addiction."

Diclemente also notes that the authors of some of the chapters "represent many of my heroes in addiction research and practice who are innovators and creative thinkers pushing the boundaries of our understanding of addiction."

The professor also recommends that the book will likely be challenging and interesting for psychologists, philosophers, behavioural scientists, neuroscientists, curious clinicians, and researchers with a wide array of interests,

If you are interested in reading the book and looking at addiction from a whole range of perspectives, you can find "Addiction and Choice "on Amazon UK, Amazon.com, and it can be ordered from all good bookshops.

Thank you, Professor Diclemente.

Addiction and Choice: Rethinking the Relationship

Nick Heather and Gabriel Segal (Eds.)

Oxford University Press

ISBN 978-0-19-872722-4.

]]>Latest newsFri, 02 Mar 2018 10:00:00 +0000Our Addiction Book "Highly Commended" at Awardshttps://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/our-addiction-book-qhighly-commendedq-at-awards
https://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/our-addiction-book-qhighly-commendedq-at-awards There are so many categories that it is like Wonderland trying to navigate the British Medical Association Book Awards.

That is not a bad thing – it's important to cover podiatry to psychiatry. I am all for better health for all.

That said, we were delighted to learn that ‘Addiction & Choice’ was highly commended by the British Medical Association and shortlisted for the Book of the Year award in the ‘Public Health’ category.

Addiction and Choice: Rethinking the RelationshipNick Heather and Gabriel Segal—Oxford University Press, September 2016. ISBN: 9780198727224.

The collection of authors who contributed, including Segal, Heather and other luminaries in the field, reflect an understanding of addiction on various physiological, medical, psychological and philosophical levels.

I am proud to have written two chapters myself, as both an addict, a therapist and someone who want to fight addiction stigma.

So, we didn't win. But Highly Commended ain't that bad.

And I've had great feedback from readers.

I'd recommend anyone who wants to learn more about addiction to read "Addiction and Choice: Rethinking the Relationship".

I don't get money for it, but I sure get satisfaction from knowing just one more person in the world is educated about addiction and all its facets.

The pages include how to buy it, or how to get it for free if you decide to trial out Audible.

Please feel free to leave me a review if you like it. I'd love to record The Happy Addict for you next...

Big love, Beth

]]>Latest newsMon, 22 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000A Home For a Homehttps://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/a-home-for-a-home
https://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/a-home-for-a-home

UnderTheDoormat.com annihilated their Seedrs' target last month. It's not surprising. Whether you're a service user, an investor, or a charity, this business model is a winner for everyone.

With UnderTheDoormat.com, you can use your home to raise extra income for your family when you're away – and you can also donate to charity for free if you wish to.

Your house would be treated as a luxury guesthouse, taken complete care of when you're away on business or holiday, benefiting from vetted paying guests, insurance and security at NO charge to you.

UnderTheDoormat.com meets, greets and providescomplementary5-star linen and toiletries to your paying guests and cares for your house while you're away. In fact, you'll probably find your home cleaner than when you left!

UnderTheDoormat.com is a well thought-out and well-run business, evidenced by the fact that it has already raised capital to expand to more areas of Europe as well as London.

This is not only a great company, but one that supports charity.

You can offer some or all of the income raised from your lettings to support our housing and addiction project, for example. As one bright customer put it, he was “getting a free housesitting service so “why wouldn't I donate?”

Here are some of the homes and areas UnderTheDoormat.com currently offersand our project that they are kind enough to support: The concept is “A home for a home”, providing a home and care for the most vulnerable in society through our charity, DiversityInCare - and it doesn't personally cost you anything. You can use your extra earnings to support us.

In fact, you can even earn vouchers for referring your friends to use their home as a guesthouse too. It's hard to see who doesn't benefit from this business model.

The barriers to recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction are a mix of practical and emotional, a new study has revealed.

A survey of hundreds of people on the journey of recovery carried out in Kentucky, USA, by a University and a local recovery advocacy support group found that there were common barriers that hampered people in their recovery efforts.

The Top 5 most common barriers cited by recovering addicts were:

1. Returning to environments associated with past substance misuse.

2. Worrying about letting others down.

3. Trying to cope with finances (such as paying rent or past debts).

4. Coping with life's major problems (redundancy, poverty).

5. Knowing how to best structure time.

Other problems that people faced on their recovery journeys were finding housing if they had a prior conviction, learning ways of coping without using substances, and trying to make other people understand more about addiction, recovery, and what it entails.

Wouldn't it be wonderfulif there was one place where people could go at the beginning of their recovery journey to address all these issues at once? Well, there is. And there could be more places, with a little help from you.

I am Chair of a charity called DiversityInCare, which provides specialist supported housing to people wanting to recover. We house people safely away from dangerous influences and past hangouts – we take ex-offenders and people with complex needs too; we help our residents claim any money they are entitled to and help them manage it wisely; we provide them with guidance, access to counselling and the tools to deal with life without using substances; we keep them busy with training and volunteer work.

And as an organisation, we have always promoted a message of understanding and anti-stigma. In fact, I am an ex-addict myself and am not afraid to share all the twists and turns of my own journey from the streets to the Boardroom. What could send a stronger and more compelling message of hope and truth than that?

The thing is, our work has been so well-received by the local community and clients – and we can understand why, now that we see how many barriers it breaks, making the journey of recovery easier for each individual we work with – that we need to do more of what we're doing.

We have agencies wanting to refer to us right now, and people waiting desperately for our help. But we must secure more housing units and need to raise funds to do it.

If you can give anything to support us to be able to open a new house for vulnerable women with drug and alcohol-related issues, please do. Every penny, pound, dollar and cent counts in breaking down barriers and helping people change their lives.

]]>Latest newsMon, 16 May 2016 10:00:00 +0000From Despair to Chair: An Inspirational Storyhttps://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/from-despair-to-chair-an-inspirational-story
https://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/from-despair-to-chair-an-inspirational-storyDo you think there is no life after addiction? That you're not capable of going on and creating a successful, fulfilling life? If you're stuck in that hole of believing that sobriety is boring or that no-one will want you to do important things because of how badly you screwed up before, then let this be a little story to inspire you.

I was someone who had more things wrong with me than were right with me. Since my teens, I had been an alcoholic, bulimic, self-harming, depressed, borderline personality-disordered, anxiety-disordered mess. I spent a long time dragging myself from one chaotic situation to another in despair and attempting suicide in between.

After a lot of suffering and a lot of hard work and help, I entered recovery from all those things, one by one.

I'm now 35 and was appointed as the Chair of a rather special charity this year. I have been with DiversityInCare as a regular member of the Board of Trustees for a while, but in 2015, I was asked to step up and take over as Chair.

DiversityInCare works with people who wish to overcome a wide range of issues associated with drug and or alcohol addiction. Its CEO recognised that my past experience was an asset, not something to hold me back or distrust me for. The charity helps people who have been involved in criminal behaviour or domestic violence due to an addiction, and those who have shaky mental health. I had experience of all these situations.

A Chair is someone who ensures that an organisation is running smoothly and ethically and providing the service it was set up for. Who better than someone who has been on the other end of services to make sure that we are running the charity in a way that safeguards our clients' welfare and progress?

DiversityInCare is a national charity, but its activities are currently based in London. One of the things that attracted me to the charity was that it offered an individualised plan for service users, tailored to their needs. That is something that I find especially important, since everyone has their own journey to recovery, so it's a really exciting charity to work with.

So whether you're just beginning your recovery journey, contemplating what might be possible in sobriety, or are letting your self-esteem hamper your success, remember you are capable of whatever you set your mind to. In fact, if you're in recovery now, then you've already succeeded in winning one of the greatest battles there is. Don't be afraid of being able to build a fun and fulfilling future. You can, as long as you think you can.

]]>Latest newsTue, 22 Dec 2015 16:24:58 +0000How Learning About Wisdom Can Change Your Lifehttps://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/how-learning-about-wisdom-can-change-your-life
https://bethburgess.co.uk/index.php/news-archive/how-learning-about-wisdom-can-change-your-lifeMost people don't live wisely. I know this because I used to be one of those people.

Most people go through life without ever stopping to ponder whether or not what they are doing is actually getting them what they want and need. The majority of people react to life rather than responding to it, meaning they don't take the time to stop and think about what they are doing or where they are headed, what mistakes they keep repeating, or how to really make the best decisions for themselves.

As someone with a previous diagnosis of Borderline Personlity Disorder, I was certainly living my life that way for a long time. And as someone who turned to alcohol to deal with a crippling anxiety disorder, I was also guilty of not using real wisdom to solve my problems. It was a case of grasping onto what seemed to work without considering the bigger picture or any alternative ways out of my problems. Thankfully, I learnt what I had to, and now enjoy a much better life.

After recovering, I changed my career, and as a therapist and author specialising in addictions and mental health, I now help people make healthy, wise choices. Many people with these sorts of problems enjoy my books, articles and videos and find great benefit from my 1:1 work. But over the last year, I found that I was sending chapters from The Happy Addict (my book about becoming happy after suffering from an addiction) to people who had never been addicts, because there was so much advice and many tools in those pages that would apply to their lives too.

More and more people told me that parts of The Happy Addict helped them, even though they weren't addicts and they asked me to write a more mainstream book that everyone could use. So I am working on a less niche book at the moment, which I hope will be accessible for anyone who wants to improve their life.

But in the meantime ,I decided to start a brand new website where people from all walks of life can access a little wisdom to help them live life more wisely, happily and healthily. I know that wisdom changed my own life and I hope it can help you change yours.

The new site is called 'Wiseism', and you can take a look at it here: Wiseism.com.

I don't claim to know everything, but I am someone who has gathered a lot of wisdom - in the first place I had to do it to help me sort out my own life and now I still seek wisdom to help me do my job better as well as continue my growth as a person. As the site evolves, I hope to invite others to post their own pearls of wisdom on the site.

For now, thank you to all who have given me wisdom, and to those that have made me learn a little bit more to help them out of thier own pain.

Peace, love, and wisdom. That's where you find freedom. Thanks for reading and enjoy the new website.

It's rather exciting as we will be teaching you how you can beat stress just by using your body.

If you join us online, you'll learn:- What cavemen can teach us about the secrets of stress.- The worst food for causing symptoms of stress.- A de-stressing strategy you can use anywhere, anytime.- Why what's in your bathroom cabinet may be contributing to your stress.- A 2-minute physical trick to instantly de-stress.

And much more, of course!It's going to be a really great event - and it's live, so we'll be able to answer your burning questions too.